Awards
Medals
Responses: 6
Not for something I felt was inappropriate, but my first Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal, I did say "This was just me doing my job" to which my Captain said. The write up is for you doing your job. The award is for everything you actually do. We can't put what you actually do on the award, but we can make your job sound "intense."
It changed my perspective (slightly) on awards. I had seen other staff guys get NAMs. Guys who worked their butts off, extra hours, extra mile, never a sour moment, and when you hear the award citation, you go "huh?" and then it clicked.
The citations should really just read "Attitude, Effort, Results!"
It changed my perspective (slightly) on awards. I had seen other staff guys get NAMs. Guys who worked their butts off, extra hours, extra mile, never a sour moment, and when you hear the award citation, you go "huh?" and then it clicked.
The citations should really just read "Attitude, Effort, Results!"
Back in the 80s, as an enlisted soldier, I was given the AAM for having earned the EFMB. I always felt that was wrong, so I never wore that AAM (an award for earning an award?). In fact, I never even had it added to my OMPF.
1SG (Join to see)
No, but I did see a Soldier receive an AAM for having the best looking room during a Battalion Command Inspection.
No, I can't say that I have had that experience (my experience --- like many of my generation --- was just the opposite). However, from what I have read here on RP, this is something that happens quite a bit in today's environment ...
PO1 Tony Holland
While I was attached to Seal Team One (non-operator) we were awarded the
Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Initially I objected to wearing a medal because
I had not deployed but backed off when the CO explained that it was a unit award
meant to honor the Team as a whole.
Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Initially I objected to wearing a medal because
I had not deployed but backed off when the CO explained that it was a unit award
meant to honor the Team as a whole.
MSgt Manuel Diaz
Hope this is on the right comment, but it seems to me that in the new military if you have a flamboyant and crafty way with words you can get medals for yourself and those you like whether it's deserving or not. You don't and they get kicked back for commas, periods, punctuation and misspellings etc even if you jumped on a grenade and saved a generals ass and blown away and landed on the enemy that threw the grenade and cut his throat with your rib in hand and killed all the remaining Taliban with a ferocious mre fart. No military penmanship no medal. That's how I perceived it right or wrong. I believe in medals for above and beyond, not for doing your job
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The system had major issues just _prior_ to underway and ended up almost completely new and under warranty; so it not only sounded like BS to those that didn't know, it sounded worse to those that knew a little, but for the whole story he totally deserved an award or really the Command Advancement he later received! Just not in line with what the write up said.
This always makes me think now. Whenever I hear an asinine story like getting a NAM for counting life jackets: maybe there's more to the story. Sometimes it may just be someone undeserving working the system, or it may be the system being worked for someone that totally does deserve recognition, but just doesn't fit the bureaucratic blanks.